General Counsel, Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet

Jacob currently serves in the administration of the 61st Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, as Deputy General Counsel for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet. He serves in Cabinet leadership and advises the Cabinet’s ten divisions and departments with respect to legal matters. Jacob is a graduate of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee College of Law. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Madelyn.

Environmental Scientist Advisor, Kentucky Division of Water, Commonwealth of Kentucky – Energy and
Environment Cabinet

As a career employee of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, Paulette Akers has worked in the
Department of Natural Resources and the Department for Environmental Protection for more than
twenty years. Currently, Paulette serves as the Gulf Hypoxia Program Engagement Coordinator in the
Division of Water and works to support activities occurring in nutrient priority watersheds and develop
new tools and partnerships to support nutrient reduction in those areas and across the Commonwealth.
She works specifically in areas such as wastewater treatment plant nutrient optimization, agriculture
and with partners in Tennessee. Previously, she served 5 years as the Director of the Division of
Conservation and 2 years as the Director of the Division of Compliance Assistance. Her early career was
with the Division of Water in the Water Quality and Watershed Management Branches.
Paulette is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University where she earned a BS degree in Biology and an
MS degree in Applied Ecology. Paulette lives in Woodford County with her husband and two sons.

CPA and Partner, MCM CPAs & Advisors

Debbie has been with MCM for more than 18 years and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience.  Her focus and concentration includes external audit procedures, reviews, consulting, and internal control and system reviews within the governmental, non-profit, manufacturing, and financial institutions industries.  Debbie is responsible for planning, supervising, and overseeing the completion of assurance engagements for MCM’s Lexington office.

President Emeritus, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and President, Julian-Carver Family Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Augusta A. Julian served for more than 40 years in community college education.  She started her career in her native North Carolina teaching developmental education at Durham Technical Community College.  Dr. Julian later moved to Madison, WI as a vice president at the college there.  She served as president of Maysville Community and Technical College in Kentucky for six years and headed Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) for 11 years.  BCTC had seven campuses, more than 45 programs of study, and significant online offerings during her tenure.  Campus development took up much of her time resulting in seven building and renovation projects including the new and repurposed Newtown Campus in Lexington.  Dr. Julian earned an M.Ed. at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Adult and Community College Education from NC State University.  She retired in 2018 and now runs a small family foundation that supports higher education.

Treasury Management Officer, Vice President, PNC Corporate & Institutional Banking

Keleigh is a Treasury Officer PNC Bank where she specializes in designing and implementing treasury solutions. Keleigh has experience working with nonprofit organization of all sizes, government institutions, public universities, as well as privately and publicly held companies. She also serves as Executive Treasurer at the Living Arts and Science Center and volunteers her time on the Family Resource Youth Service Center parent teacher committee as Board Chair for Meadowthorpe and Sandersville Elementary. She has also proudly served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer. Keleigh is married to Brian Arnett and has 3 children, Beau, age 10, Esme, age 8, and Grace, age 18. The Arnett’s enjoy spending their spare time in the outdoors, camping and traveling particularly in the beautiful state of Kentucky.

Sustainability Manager, Alltech

In his role, he helps set the company’s sustainability commitments and goals. He also ensures that Alltech continually finds innovative ways to be more sustainable across the more than 120 countries in which it operates. Butler previously worked in the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection on the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. He also runs a renewable energy and sustainability podcast called Clean Power Planet, and he founded a solar energy activism community called Solar Kentucky. Prior to his role as sustainability manager, he was the digital marketing manager at Alltech for more than nine years. He built the company’s online visibility through search engine optimization, social media interaction, and content marketing. Butler received bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental geoscience from the University of Kentucky. He also received a master’s degree in geochemistry from the University of Kentucky. His graduate research focused on bioremediation of chlorinated solvents in wetland soils.

Dentons Bingham Greenebaum

As an attorney with Dentons Bingham Greenebaum since 2000, she has advised businesses and other clients on a broad range of Kentucky and federal environmental law compliance, permitting and litigation issues.  She currently serves on the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Energy and Environment Policy Council and also serves on the Board for the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, a non-profit statewide land trust committed to preserving wildlands, large forest tracts and migratory corridors.  In the past, she has served as chair of the Natural Resources Law Section of the Kentucky Bar Association.  Kelly lives in downtown Lexington with her husband and two children.

Patient Experience Manager, UK HealthCare

After a 14 year career in philanthropy for Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Angela recently accepted a role as Patient Experience Manager at UK HealthCare managing the Patient, Parent and Family Advisor Councils. In addition to being an avid gardener, she is passionate about sustainability and conservation. Angela lives in Lexington with her husband John and their two dogs.

Administrative Project Manager, VisitLEX

Arin works as a project manager at VisitLEX, the city’s destination marketing organization. She currently serves as the chair for Keep Lexington Beautiful, sits on the Young Leaders Advisory Council for Keep America Beautiful, and sits on the United States Travel Association’s Sustainability Coalition. She works on sustainability in tourism in Lexington and the Bluegrass Region. After growing up in Danville, Arin received a bachelor’s degree in History and French and received her master’s degree in History. She and her husband live in downtown Lexington and spend their vacations trying to visit all the National Parks.

Manager of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance, Kentucky American Water

Robert “Bob” Money is manager of water quality and environmental compliance for Kentucky American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in Kentucky and a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water. Based in Lexington, Bob oversees the company’s water quality department and team of water quality experts, is responsible for all water quality testing, monitoring, reporting, and environmental regulation compliance and environmental stewardship efforts.

Prior to joining Kentucky American Water, Bob served as a senior associate and branch manager with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions. A licensed professional geologist, Money has led various environmental projects in the public and private sectors throughout his career, which spans more than 30 years, including compliance audits, commercial and industrial property assessments, field investigations, remediation implementation efforts and permit application preparation.

A native of Larue County., Ky., Money received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Kentucky and holds a professional geologist license in Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia. Money resides in Lexington, Ky., with his wife and two children.

Born and raised in the Bluegrass, Jenny Howard Owen is passionate about reconnecting her fellow Kentuckians to their local environment.  Within the past 20 years, her work in environmental education has taken her from the savannahs of central Africa (via Peace Corps), along the shores of VA and NC (with US Fish & Wildlife Service), and back home to the Bluegrass State, with Lake Barkley State Park, KY Division of Water, KY Dept of Education, and the KY Association for Environmental Education. In her current position, she organizes education programs for and with farmers interested in regenerative organic practices.  Jenny, her husband Jacob, and their son Birch live, plant, and play in the rolling countryside of Anderson County.

Kyle began working for Davis & Plomin Mechanical as he pursued his academic degrees, working in the field to gain knowledge of the mechanical construction processes. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2010, Kyle was accepted into the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Construction Management Program in 2011. He completed this program in 2012, obtaining his master’s degree in Construction Management. Kyle currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky and is a LEED Green Associate by the US Green Building Council. Kyle Oversees the design and estimating departments and manages several design-build projects.

Manager – Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability at Lexmark International, Inc.

Phillip is born and raised in the bluegrass state and has split his life between the small towns of Western Kentucky and the “city life” of Lexington, starting with and continuing after graduation from the University of Kentucky.  Phillip received an undergraduate and graduate degree in Chemical Engineering from UK, where his research focused on utilizing scrap tire rubber for the remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater.  Phillip joined Lexmark in 2000 and has managed technical teams in Research & Development before recently joined the Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability organization.  Phillip is an avid kayaker in his free time and understands first hand the value in protecting, conserving, and restoring our headwaters.  He is a two-time volunteer of the month with a national river conservation non-profit.  Phillip lives in Lexington and is married with three small children.

Nonprofit Management Consultant and Rock Climber

Before becoming involved with advocacy, social justice and nonprofit management, Shannon spent fifteen years in the thoroughbred racehorse industry riding and training.  Growing up in a military family she lived all over the U.S. and overseas before permanently settling in Lexington in 1986 after graduating from UCLA to attend UK Law School.

An outdoor enthusiast, avid rock climber and dedicated vegan Shannon has always been interested in the outdoors and environmental sustainability.  In 1996 Shannon started a rock climbing advocacy nonprofit dedicated to securing access to climbing and protecting the environment as its Founder-Executive Director.  Since then, she has served on numerous local and national nonprofit boards before starting her own consulting company, Free Agent for Change, LLC with special emphasis on strategic planning, board development and capacity building for social justice and civil rights nonprofit organizations.

Today Shannon is retired from being a paid consultant instead offers her expertise pro bono to small nonprofits while she now pursues climbing full time at her beloved Red River Gorge with her spouse and two dogs.

Manager, Resource and Renewable Planning, East Kentucky Power Cooperative

Fernie Williams, a 26 year employee with EKPC, currently provides analytical studies for resource planning, particularly long term power supply needs, with a focus on renewable resources.  In addition to supporting the cooperative’s six landfill gas to energy projects and hydro resources, Fernie provides assistance for small power producer projects to the sixteen member cooperatives, with the most interest currently in solar.